Multicolor rotary, intaglio, letterpress, and offset printing press



NOV. 17, 1953 GIORI 2,659,305

MULTICOLOR ROTARY INTAGLIO, LETTERPRESS, AND OFFSET PRINTING PRESS 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1950 R m m N 0 w m I m n HHmH m H L A w 31 mm mm mw mm M mm E 8 hm .Q 22 mm Q 5 an G b 2 2 N8 2 m w ATTORNEYS2,659,305 EgSERPRESS, AND

Nov. 17, 1953 G. GIORI MULTICOLOR ROTARY INTAGLIO, LE

OFFSET PRINTING PR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1950 IN VENTORGUAITIERO GIORI QZZAZIWM ATTORNEYS NOV. 17, 1953 GIOR] 2,659,305

MULTICOLOR RO Y INTAGL LETTERPRESS, AND

OF T PRINTI PRESS Filed Jan. 23 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 "'Ifllllll'jjj 1,;

58 49 INVENTOR GUALTIERO GIORI 7 BY i W/M ATTORNEYS Nov. 17, 1953 G.GIORI 2,659,305

MULTICOLOR ROTARY LETTERPRESS, AND

INTAGLIO OFFSET PRINTING PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 23, 1950INVENTOR GUALTIERO GIORI ATTORNEYS Nov. 17, 1953 G. GIORI 2,659,305

MULTICOLOR ROTARY INTAGLIO, LETTERPRESS, AND OFFSET PRINTING PRESS FiledJan. 23, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOR CuAmERo atom BY M /M ATTORNEYSPatented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTICOLOR ROTARY,INTAGLIO, LETTER 'rnnss, AND orrsnr rnmrmornnss GualtieroGiori,BuenosAires, Argentina Application January 23, 1950, Serial No. 140,0 29 .2 Qlaims. (Cl. 101"-1 75) This invention relates to printing presses,and more particularly to a multicolour printing press. specially fit forprinting securities by letterpress,

intaglio or indirectprinting'.

One objector this invention is toprovide a new printing press whicheigccutes the multicolourindirect printing with superimpose impressionsor the multicolour intagl io or letterpress printing with adjacentcolours from a single engraved plate and in a ingleoperationf A furtherobject of the invention is .to provide a multicolour printin g'presshaving means for inking printing plates with one or more colours, ormeans for-printing rubberblankets' with one or more designsjand colours,meansto obtain a perfect registration ,of the colours to be deposited onthe printing .plate or on the transferring rubber blanket, ineansf ortaking out any surplus of ink f fQm the intaglio pr'inting plate, andmeans to repeat the printing operation in a continuousway.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a printingpresshaving mean for carrying the printed sheets from the printing meansto a receiving table in such away that they do not enter into contactwith any part of the machine that could blur or soil-the fresh printing.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means 'forcleaning the intaglio plate inked with one or more colours.

Still further objects of the invention willappear from the descriptiongiven hereinafter.

Securities andbanknotes are usually printed by superimposing severalimpressions which are obtained through different processes.

Some zones, called protection plains or backgrounds, are printed byletterpress printing or by offset, with a view tomake theircounterfeiting almost impossible'ibecause of the difficulty to select,by photography, the elements which,'in

several colours, compose said'backgr'ounds', and because of the perfectregister with which they have to'be printed. .Other impressions,superposed on said backgrounds, constitute the .main part of the printedsecurity and are usually made through the intaglio printing, which,beginning from originals engraved by tool on copper or steel, allow theattaininent of a high technical and artistic degree of' perfection, asWell as a good protection from counterjfeiters.

The printing of securities may be also obtained through a single kind ofprinting butft hey evidently, for safety reasons, have generallybackgrounds. printed -by letterpress printing or by onset withsuperposed colours and designs, and the plate or other) and this i inknecessary -fo ing element;

generally main part by intaglio printing with a single colour... 3 A tIt is well known that letterpress and intaglio printing are based on thefollowing principle an inking device inks a printing element (cylinder,executes the printing when put in eontact with the paper.

The indirect printing, on the contrary, is based on the followingprinciple: an inking device inks an engraved eleme'n't' (plate, cylinderor other), and this transfers'the design on a sheet made from rubber orany other suitable material, which sheet, on its turn," executes theprinting when put into contact with the paper. Now, processes" formulticolour printing have been known for many years. One of the mostcommon, consists' in printing on a sheet of paper, or anysuitablematerial, a number of superposed coloured images by 'meansofasmanyengraved cuts or plates asare the colours to be printed. In all .ofthe processes of this-kind the principal difiiculty' to deal with is thecorrect registration of the severalsuperimposed designs, eachonegorw'mch is'generally printed with a different colour.

- Another known process for multicolour printing consists in inking asingle e'ngraved plate or cut with several inks of different colours,disseparate' areason theplate, and then tributed in v printing on thep'aper or anyother'suitable mw 'terial,' in' a single operation,-"allthe adjacent colours with whichthe plateis inked. This proc- 'ess wasfirstdescribed' in- P;Bonniers U. S. Batent No. 1,108,063, Of August-18th, 1914. Said printing processes, completely different one from theother, were in needof fdifierent pres'sni foir .or more colours printedby'two" or"more"printing elements of 't'he same press is impossible.

design and colourstill fresh} contacts another printing element, andthererorenot only gets dirty, as 'a consequence o'f th'e gr'atamount ofr :intaglio printing'; but 'also dirties "the printing 1i element(plate, cylinder 61' other) causing a blurring of colours and designs.

Actually, while :ror letterpressfland 'in'direct printing thereare-multicolour pr s 'es'witn many printingeIement's; rorm'ulticomurintaglio printing there are nopre ses'with' more tnan'oneprim- It is'well known that the-intaglio printing is s executed with paperpre'viousl'y campen'ed: is due to the fact that in intaglio platebecause they,

- several colours may printed by another.

printing the paper has to be depressed into the grooves of the plate tocause the paper to take up the ink therein. This operation requires ahigh degree of pressure between the pressure cylinder, known as Droller, and the printing plate through which the paper passes during theprinting operation. When dry paper is used, and since the paper forprinting securities must have a high degree of resistance which gives itgreat hardness, the pressure required from the intaglio printing pressis enormous. Aside from the fact that presses which may affordsuflicient pressure are very few, the paper, when submitted to this highpressure, alters its size: this does not permit a great number ofintaglio printings with dry with dampened dampening and It is well knownpaper.

Manifold intaglio printings paper require logically successive dryingoperations on the paper.

that dampening and drying operations alter the size'of the paper in sucha, way that there is a diiference between the sheets. Consequently it isnot possible to obtain a perfect register among the several superimposeddesigns and colours.

It follows, therefore, that when dampened paper is used, the intaglioprinting with superimposed designs and colours may be obtained for arestricted number of them, while the multicolour printing by means of asingle plate inked with adjacent inks of several colours may beobtained. The printing plate executes the printing in only oneoperation.

It is well known that during the intaglio printing the plate surface iscleaned by wiping and polishing prior to taking of each impression inorder to eliminate the ink laid by the inking and not compressed in theengravings.

Said cleaning so far, has been executed by successive rubbing of blades,cloths, paper, rollers, or other material on the printing plate, some ofwhich could be united. These polishing devices did not permit themulticolour printing with several adjacent colours from only oneengraved by force, as a consequence of their rubbing action and of theirhaving to execute manifold passages, caused a mixing of the severalcolours retained in the engraving of the plate.

The cleaning operation, executed by means of a single wiping cylinderrotating at the same relative velocity of the printing element (as inother known processes), cannot be done because the wiping cylinder musthave a velocity greater than that of the printing element.

In fact, as the inks for the intaglio security printing have to be verydense, it is difficult to remove them from the printing plate and,therefore, a rubbing of the wiping cylinder against the printing elementis necessary so that, along the ideal contacting line, the removal ofthe excessive ink laid on the intaglio plate, inked with be executed.

It is obvious that the greater velocity of the wiping cylinder incomparison with that of the printing element is the factor whichdetermines the perfect cleaning of the intaglio plate inked with severalcolours.

Furthermore, it is well known that the sheets, the intaglio printingprocess, contain an amount of ink, determined by the depth of theengraving. as this amount of ink requires a, certain period of time todry, it is necessary to interpose a sheet between one printed sheet andThe interleaving operation has always been done by hand with theconstant risk that mounted on a, cart, to

.view of the printing the interleaving sheet might scrape the printedsheet and ruin the print.

So far no press could execute the multicolour intaglio, letterpress orindirect printing changing no mechanical part; this press executing amulticolour direct print from a single intaglio or letterpress plate andan indirect print with superimposed designs and colours from more platesor other printing elements.

In the field of securities so far no press could execute the multicolourprinting of backgrounds by letterpress or indirect printing and themulticolour printing of the main part by intaglio printing. Thereforethe paper had to be printed by successive printings in differentpresses.

Now I have invented a press, particularly apt to print securities, andwhich eliminates all the above mentioned inconveniences.

The printing press I have invented, and to which this patent refers.essentially consists of a paper feeder device for feeding the sheets-tobe printed; a first drum of great diameter upon which printing platesfor direct printing (or rubber blankets in substitution thereof forindirect printing) may be fixed; a pressing cylinder or drum (commonlyknown as D roller"), having the same diameter as the first one butrotating in contrary direction; a number of inking rollers for inkingthe printing plates (or a number of engraved rollers for printing therubber blankets for indirect printing); a wiping cleaning device fortaking of! ink in excess from the surface of the printing plates; aninterleaving device; an endless conveyor to carry the printed sheetsfrom the D roller to the interleaving device and cooperating with thelatter for interleaving paper sheets between the printed sheets; airblower, ejecting air blasts in the path of the printed sheets carried bythe endless conveyor; a delivery table to receive the printed sheets andthe interleaving sheets; and a number of inking groups,

ink the inking rollers.

For the better understanding of my invention a preferred embodiment ofmy press is shown in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings forclarity sake, gearings and shafts interconnecting different parts of thepress, and some other parts, have been omitted; but all of them will beobvious to those persons skilled in the art.

In these drawings, Figure 1 shows a lateral press partly in crosssection; Figure 2 is a cross section of the cleaning and wiping device;Figure 3 is a lateral view of the interleaving device, partly insection; Figure 4 shows one of the pincers of the endless conveyor whenit passes near the D roller for taking the .printed sheet; Figure 5shows one of the pincers of the endless conveyor when it takes theinterleaving sheet; Figure 6 is a section of the part of the pressurecylinder with the mechanism for taking the sheet from the feeder and forgiving same to the pincers of the endless conveyor; Figures '7 and 8show the way in which the inking rollers ink a plate (the length of theplate has been somewhat exaggerated) Figure 9 is the .section of aninking roller mounted on an eccentric support; Figure 10 is the sectionof the line A-A' of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a lateral view of the coverof the eccentric support mounted on the frame of the press and providedwith handwheel, graduation and index for the regulation of the pressure.

As it will be seen in the drawings th press comprises a frame I on whicha plate bearing cylinder 2 (Fig. is rotatably mounted on shaft I 21.This liquid 3. This cylinder has two opposite seats 4 and 5 on whichprinting elements 6 and 1 may be fixed. Screws 8, 9, l6 and H acting onclamps l2, l3, l4 and I5, securing printing or transferring elements 6and 1, allow the registering of their position on cylinder 2. To thispurpos a millimetric rule is engraved on the borders of the sectors ofcylinder 2. Shaft 3 is connected to the shaft of the motor of the pressby means of a suitable shafting, both not shown in the drawing becauseit is obvious. I s

On frame I five supports [6, I1, [8, l9 and are mounted. When the pressprints multicolour printing from a single printing plate inked by inkingrollers, then the inking rollers 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are rotatably andremovably mounted on said supports. The same inking rollers may be usedfor letterpress or intaglic printing. For printing in indirect printing,instead of mounting inking rollers on supports I6, I1, l8, l9 and 20,engraved cylinders for indirect printing are mounted.

A wiping and cleaning device is mounted on frame I in the position shownin Fig. 1. It substantially consists of (see Fig. 2) a Wiping cylinder26 coatedwith, or made from, resilient material, rotatably mounted inthe framework of the press. This cylinder 26 rotates in the samedirection as cylinder 2 and it is connected by means of suitableshafting to the motor of the press. Furthermore it has a seesaw movementnot in phase with its rotation and rotates at a predetermined peripheralspeed greater than that of plate bearing cylinder 2. The wiping cylinderexecutes a rubbing action on the surface of the plates every time it hasto clean the plates. The contact between cylinder 26 and the plate oncylinder 2 is virtually a line and, therefore, the wiping operationtakes placewithout taking away and without mixing the several colourscompressed in the engravings of the plate by the inking rollers. Theregulation of the pressure of cylinder 26 against the printing plate oncylinder 2 is obtained by means of an eccentric support in which theshaft of cylinder 26 rotates. A metal cylinder 27, mounted on frame l ofthe press is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The diameter of cylinder27 (Fig. 2) is greater than that of cylinder 26 so as to have a greatersurface wiping cylinder 26; this, and the greater speed of cylinder 2'!make the ink, taken away from cylinder 26, adhere in a very thin layeron the surface of cylinder 27. The regulation of the pressure ofcylinder 2'. against cylinder 26 is obtained by means of an eccentricsupport in whichthe shaft of cylinder 21 rotates. This cylinder 2'!rotates in the same direction of cylinder 26 but a determined peripheralspeed greater than that of cylinder 26.

Cylinder 21 has not a seesaw movement because it profits by the seesawmovement of cylinder 26. Its rotation is obtained through cylinder 26 bymeans of suitable gears. The wiping of cylinder 26 is executed bycylinder 27 based on the same principle which causes the cleaning of theprinting plate by means of cylinder 26.

A set of nozzles 28 located along all the Width of cylinder 27 in theposition shown in Fig. '2. These nozzles throw a violent liquid jet oncylinder 27 so that the direction of them is lightly sec'ant to theperiphery of cylinder 21 and in contrary direction to the peripheralspeed of cylinder jets take away the ink from cylinder 21 in consequenceof the mechanical action caused by the violence, pressure and directibilof thejets. I

A screen having an exhaust pipe 29 collects all the liquid, and all theink, taken away from cylinder 27 by liquid jets, to carry them intoexhaust pipe 29.

A scraper 30 which has a seesaw movement is placed in tangent contactwith cylinder 21 in the position shown in Fig. 2 and is mounted on asupport 3| having adjusting screws 32 and 33. This scraper prevents apossible ink veil to return on cylinder 26 should it have remained oncylinder 2! notwithstanding the cleaning operation.

A set of nozzles 34 is placed between scraper 30 and the contact pointof cylinder 26 with cylinder 2'! (Fig. 2). These nozzles have to throw aplurality of warm air jets to eliminate the moisture possibly still onthe surface of cylinder 21.

Therefore the wiping operation is as follows: cylinder 26 cleans theplate placed on cylinder 2; cylinder 27 cleans cylinder 26; the liquidjets thrown by nozzles 28 clean cylinder 21; scraper 30 ends thecleaning of cylinder 27; the warm air jets thrown by nozzles 34 drycylinder 21.

By means of this wiping and polishing device the operation takes placeuninterruptedly.

A pressure cylinder 38 (Fig. 1) having the same diameter as cylinder 2,is rotatably mounted on frame .I in such a way as to exercise aregulable pressure against cylinder 2. This cylinder 38 has at one end atoothed rim which comes into engagement with the toothed wheel ofcylinder 2 so as to berotated by this latter and, logically,

in a contrary direction. On cylinder 38 there are some pincers whichtake the paper sheet from the feeder and hold it on its surface untilsaid sheet, after the printing operation, passes to the pincers, mountedon chains, which carry it to the delivery table. 7

Automatic feeders 39 and 9| (Fig. 1) of'the paper to be printed and ofthe interleaving sheet are of the sheet by sheet reloading type wit-h.suckers to forward the sheet. They work with dry or dampened paper andfeed the press in case of printing with one or two plates. These feedersare provided with mechanisms to forward the sheet in perfect registerand square. Incline 46 leads the paper sheet to the upper part of Droller 38. There is a bar 4| rotatably mounted on an axle 42. Bar 4i iscontrolled by a rod 43 articulated at the end of lever which is fixed onshaft 45. On shaft 46 another lever, which is not shown in the drawing,is mounted: said lever contacting an eccentricsector mounted on cylinder38 rotates, and consequently lever 44 rotates, and rod 43 moves, and bar4| is rotated. In this way a paper sheet, which had been stopped by bar4i, is free to pass when .bar 4| rotates.

On a cart 5|, running on rollers 52 upon tracks made in frame i (Fig.1), five inking groups are mounted. This cart may be anchored in workingposition by means of pins 53 (one on each side of the cart) engaginghooks 64. Fig.1 shows four inking group-s in lateral view and one incross section. Each group consists of an upsetting ink container 55,which feeds ink to roller 56; and a set of rollers 51,58, 59,60, 6|, 62,63 and 64, which transfer the ink from roller 56 to rollers and 66.Rollers 58, 59 and 66 are mounted so to be given also an alternativelateral motion, in order to uniformly distribute and grind the ink.Rollers 6!, 62, 63 and 64 serve to carry the from roller 58 to roller60.

Rollers 85 and 88 are rotatably' mounted on r'eg'ulable swingingsupports so as to obtain a perfect contact between rollers 85 and 88 andinking rollers 2I, 22, 23, 24 and 25, furthermore they have amicrometrical regulation of the ink passage.

When cart 5| is hooked to hook 54, one or more of the inking groups maybe put out of motion simply by opening the corresponding support 81 and88 or declutching those groups by means insertion 18.

These gears and shafts driving rollers are closed in crankcases 89 and1|. These gearings are connected to a transmission endless screw,parallel to the track of cart 51, and connected to the motor of thepress.

It is to be noted that the inking groups may work when the cart is putin its working position as well as when it is removed from the inkingrollers which permits the automatic washing of the inking groups and thefirst regulation thereof.

The inking groups of this press allow the perfect inking forletterpresses, intaglio or indirect printing. They have a considerableadjustability as it is required for letterpress and indirect printingbeing able, also, to feed the inking roller with the amount of inknecessary to fill the hollows of the engraved plate (intaglio printing).Moreover, in said groups the ink passage may be micrometricallyregulated, which guarantees for ever the identity of the inking and,consequently, of the printing. Therefore, this possibility allows anywork to be printed in five colours by letterpress, intaglio or indirectprinting with the same press, and without changing mechanical parts.

On opposite sides of cylinder 38 (see Fig. 6) two axles I38 and I31 aremounted. Along these axles a set of pincers is mounted, Fig. 6 shows onepincer 58 mounted on shaft I38 and another I35 on shaft I31.

On shaft I38 two arms I38 and I39 are fixed in different planes. Similararms I48 and HI are fixed, in the same way, on shaft I31. Furthermore,arms I42 and -I43 are fixed to shafts I31 and I38. Arms I42 and I43 areconnected together by means of a device exercising opposite forces onarms I42 and I43. This device consists of a rod I44 articulated by oneend to arm I42 by means of an axle I45; the other end enters tube I48,which is connected to arm I43 by means of an axle I41. In this way rodI44 may slide into tube I48. Tube I48 has a seat I48, and a flange I49is fixed on rod I44 by means of a screw I58. Between seats I48 andflange I49, and surrounding rod I44, an expansion spring .I I is placed.Two pins I52 and I53 are fixed to frame I of the printing press; pin I52is located next to the lower end of incline 48 of feeding device 39; andpin I53 is placed next to the border of conveyor 13 (Fig. 1). As may beseen in Fig. 6, when arm I4I, during the rotation of cylinder 38, hitspin I53, shaft I31 is rotated and pincer I35 takes the position thedrawing 8 shows for pincer 58. Simultaneously, arm I38, hitting pin I52,makes pincer 58 press its seat -I55 taking the position the drawing 8shows for pincer I35. A similar seat I54 is in correspondence of pincerI35.

An endless conveyor 13 (Fig. 1) formed from two parallel chains ismounted on wheels 14, 15, 18, 11, 18 and 19. Wheel 18 is provided withmeans for tensioning the chains. These tensioning means consists (Fig.3) of a frame 88, fixed on frame I of the press, and having arms 8| and82 which embrace a block 83. In this block shaft 84 of wheel 18 ismounted. A screw 85 may push block 83. Screen 88, fixed by means of arod to block 83, prevents sheets from striking the interleaving device.On the chains of the endless conveyor pincers 81 are mounted. Thesepincers are spaced apart at a distance equal to the peripheral distanceseparating pincers 58 and I35 of cylinder 38 (Fig. 1). The endlessconveyor moves in the direction shown by arrow A in Fig. 1 at a speedequal to the peripheral speed of cylinder 38. A suitable gearingconnecting cylinder 38 with driving wheel 14 insure that speed. Belowendless conveyor 13, a number of air blower nozzles is placed. Thesenozzles point their air blasts in an upward direction, contrary to thatof the conveyor motion. A tank of air under pressure, not shown in thedrawings, provides the necessary air. The endless conveyor carries theprinted sheet to an interleaving device disposed as shown in Fig. 1 andillustrated in Fig. 3. This device comprises an incline 98, connected toan automatic feeder 9I (Fig. 1) that may be of any known type. In thedrawing, the feeder is of the same kind as feeder 39. A shaft 92 ismounted in frame I below incline 98 and is connected by means of asuitable gear to the motor of the press in such a way that whilstcylinder 2 performs a complete revolution, shaft 92 performs two. Twoopposite cams 93 and 94 are fixed on shaft 92. Said cams are not in thesame plain. Cam 93 acts on a roller rotatably mounted on one end oflever 98 rotating around the axle 91 (Fig. 3). The other end of lever 98has an arched surface 98 on the same lever with incline 98 and aprojection I84 holding a plate I85 for retaining the paper sheets. Aspring I82, acting on lever 98 forces roller 95 towards shaft 92. Cam 94acts on a roller 99 mounted on one end of lever I88 rotating on axle WI.The other end of lever I88 is connected, through rod I82, with leverI83, having a curved part I83 to raise up the roller I88. Said rollerI88 is mounted on a rod I81 which is mounted in a casing I88 fixed toframe I. A spring placed into casing forces rod I81 downwards. A springII4 acts upon lever I83 and forces roller 95 towards shaft 92. RollerI88 extends across the path of the sheet on incline 98. In the positionshown in Fig. 3, a sheet of paper coming on incline 98 may pass betweenroller I88 and incline 98; it is stopped by plate I85. When shaft 92rotates, cam 94 raises roller 99 and, consequently, lever I83 alsorotates with the consequence that roller I88 gets in contact with archedpart 98 of lever 98 pressing, thus, the paper sheet. As the revolutionof shaft 92 goes on, cam 93 raises roller 95 and then lever 98 rotateson axle 91.

Simultaneously, plate I85 descends and the paper sheet is drivenforwards by arched part 98 and by roller I88. The sheet is then taken bypincers 81 in the way it will be explained later.

Pincers 81 are more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. They are mounted, inseries, on shafts carried by two chains so as to be fixed on a sametransversal line to the conveyor. These pincers consist of a frame orbody II5 on which shafts H8, H1 and H9 are fixed. Said shafts are commonto the other pincers located between the two chains on the same line ofthat shown in Fig. 4. On shaft II8 a ring H9 is fixed and it has aprojection I28 which presents a rubber or the like seat I2I, on whichthe ends of fingers I22 and I23 rest. Finger I22 is fixed to shaft II1,which is rotatably mounted on frame II5.

An arm I24 is also fixed to a shaft II! and has a roller I25. mounted atits end. A spring I26 forces shaft Ill, and consequently finger I22,against seat I2I. Finger I23 is fixed to shaft I I8, which is rotatablymounted on frame II5. An arm I21 is also fixed to shaft H8 and has aroller I28 mounted at its end. A corresponding spring I29 forces fingerI23 against seat I2I. Arms I24 and I21 are not in a same plain, althoughthey are parallel. It may be seen that when arms I21 and I24 are presseddownwards, fingers I22 and I23 separate from seat I2I. The working ofthese pincers is as follows: around the shaft of driving wheel 14 (seeFig. 4) .two parallel cams I30 and HI are placed in such a way that wheneach group of pincers 81 arrives to pressure cylinder 38, said cams pushsimultaneously rollers I and I28, thus separating fingers I22 and I 23from their common seat At this moment the device on cylinder 38 depositsa printed sheet in the space comprised between seat I2I and fingers I22and I23. As soon as the action of cams I and I 3I ceases, fingers I22and I23 close and hold the sheet against seat I2I.

The group of pincers 81 works, at the interleaving device, as shown inFig. 5. Around shaft 84 of wheel 16 a cam I32 is fixed. This cam is inthe path of arm and roller I28, but not in the path of roller I25. Whena group of pincers arrives at the interleaving device, arm I21 is pusheddown through roller I 28 and finger I23 opens, while finger I22continues holding the printed sheet of paper. At this moment, asexplained above, plate I05 descends and allows an interleaving sheet toglide on incline 90 and to enter the space comprised between finger I23and seat I2I. As soon as the action of cam I32 ceases, finger I 23closes and retains the interleaving sheet. Same is carried by finger I23together with a printed sheet carried by finger 122. Around the shaft ofwheel 11 two cams I33 and I34, of a same shape as cams I30 and i'3I, arefixed. When rollers I25 and I28 are pushed down by said cams, they openthe fingers of the pincers and, thus, the printed sheet and theinterleaving sheet are freed and may fall upon table IIO.

Delivery table I it (Fig. l) is located in such a way that it canreceive the interleaved and printed sheets, laid by pincers 31 when theyarrive at wheel 11.

The delivery table must descend as the sheet piles up upon it, in orderto keep the top of pile on a level lower than that of incline 90 (seeFig. 3). To this purpose delivery table H0 is fixed to a ratchetmechanism HI acted by lever II 2 connected to an arm I [-3 fixed tolever 96. When lever 96 rotates, letting in an interleaving sheet, leverI I3 also rotates and transmits a' rotation to shaft I through lever H2.The rotation of shaft I35 lowers delivery table H0.

The inking rollers (or the engraved rollers) are mounted as shown inFig. 9, where a section of an inking roller (or an engraved cylinder)with all the make shifts securing its radial, circular and axialmovements, is shown.

Shaft 231 (Fig. 9) of the inking roller is mounted in support 200 ofwhich ball. bearing 253i is shown. Flange 2H1 serves to blockballbearing 20! on support 220.

A gear 2II is fixed on shaft 281. This gear comes into engagement withthe. toothed wheel of cylinder .2 so as the inking roller is rotated bythis latter and, logically, in contrary direction.

Bearing 200 is mounted on frame I of the press and has a cover 2I2. Ahand-wheel 203 is lo-- cated on cover 2I2. Said hand-wheel is integralwith a gear '2I6 lowered by toothed sector 2I'1 placed on eccentricbearing 283.

As a consequence of this speed-lowering between .the gears of hand-wheelH6 and toothed sector 2, a rotation of the hand-wheel causes a,micrometrica'l movement of the eccentric support and, thus, amicrometrical approaching or removal of the inking roller from thebearing plate cylinder.

Cover 2!.2 with hand-wheel 203 are shown in Figure 11. This cover isfixed to the frame of the press by means of nuts 2I3, furthermore agraduation 2M and an index 2I5 are on this cover to measure the pressureof the inking roller against the printing plate.

In Fig. 9 it is possible to see that shaft 201 of the roller is blockedin support 200 by means of a screw 204. This screw 204, which is also onthe other side not shown in the design as obvious, may be screwed orunscrewed determining the micrometrical axial movement of shaft 201 andhence of the inking roller with regard to cylinder 2.

In Figure 9 a section of the inking roller with its main parts is alsoshown. As it will be seen it comprises a tubular section, whichhereinafter will be called tube 233, and is the main part of the roller;a resilient material coating 205 and 206 in accordance with the printingkind; two flanges 221, on the border of tube 209, which permit theblocking .up of tube 209 on shaft 201.

These two flanges 221 have two rods 2].! .and 2| 8 which are bettershown in Fig. 10. These two rods 2.I1 and 2 I8 have two micrometricaland indented screws 2I9 and 220 which press on .a.

protruding bolt 224 which makes with flange 22.! one sole body. Whenscrew 2I9 is screwed and screw 220 is unscrewed or vice versa, flange221 is micrometrically rotated. As fiange 221 blocks tube 209, samecauses the micrometrical rotation of the whole roller on shaft 201 and,thus, the

perfect positioning of the roller coating is possible with regard to theengraving of the plate.

Two pointed teeth 22I, pressed by springs 222 and 223 against the teethof screws 2I9 and 220 avoid the unscrewing of same during the mo-- tionof the press.

When the perfect positioning of the resilient material coating theinking roller has been obtained, two screws 225 and 225 block the wholethat forms the roller.

In a few words, the inking rollers for the letterpress or intaglioprinting or the engraved cylinders for the indirect printing, have aradial movement by means of the eccentric support, this permits thevariation of their pressure against the printing plate or thetransferring element. The inking rollers or the engraved cylinder havealso an axial and a circular movement for their exact positioning withregard to the printing plate, as it will be explained later on.

During the letterpress or intaglio printing op,-

eration the resilient material, coating the live inking rollers of thepress, is left only on the parts which have to take ink and give itagain to the corresponding parts of the printing plate. Consequently, itis possible to print securities in a single operation thread of theengraving (design) and changing and from a single engraved plate, thusobtaining the continuation of the the colours at the desired spots.Furthermore, during the printing operation, it is possible to obtain thedesired degrees of pressure of the inking roller against the printingplate. This causes the always identical crushing of the resilientmaterial with which the roller is coated and, consequently, an alwaysidentical colouring of securities printed by intaglio or letterpressprinting. The perfect registry of the indirect printing withsuperimposed designs and colours is always guaranteed because fiveengraved cylinders 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are rotated by a single gearingmounted on cylinder 2. This determines that the engraved parts oncylinders 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25 always contact the same identical pointsof common transferring elements 6 and 1, which transfer to the paper thecomposite image at a single operation.

The operation of my press in intaglio printing is as follows: intaglioprinting plates 6 and 1 (Fig. 1), are mounted on cylinder 2 in thedesired position employing, the millimetric rules, marked on the bordersof bearing plate sectors 4 and 5, and the reference lines engraved onthe plates, which are then fixed to sectors 4 and 5 by means of clampsI2, I3, I4 and I5. Inking rollers 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25, preparedfollowing a process which is an object of another application of patent,are mounted in their supports l6, l1, I8, I9 and 20, and theirregulation is executed by means of eccentric supports I6, I1, I8, I3 andby means of the proper mechanisms which allow the micrometrical axialand circular movements of the inking rollers.

After, the first regulation of the inking groups, mounted on cart 5|, isexecuted so as to have on rollers 65 and 66 the amount of ink which isnecessary for intaglio printing.

Cart 5|, carrying the inking groups, is approached to the inking rollersand it is hooked at hook 54 by means of pivot 53.

Then the final regulation of the inking is executed until inking rollers2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25 have the amount of ink necessary to fill thegrooves of the intaglio plates.

When the perfection of inking is assured, the regulation of the cleaningof plates is executed. This regulation is obtained varying the pressureof cylinder 26 against the plates until the wiping cylinder executesperfectly its function. After the above mentioned operations theprinting is begun.

A paper sheet (dry or dampened) fed by feeder 38, slips down on incline40 and is detained by bar 4|. When said bar, connected with a suitableshafting, rotates on its axle 42, the sheet is free to pass and it istaken by the set of pincers I35 which close and carry it on cylinder 36.It is clear that this operation is preceded by the perfect putting inregister and square of the sheet: this operation is obtained by means ofsuitable mechanisms.

Simultaneously to the above mentioned operation, cylinder 2 rotates, andprinting plate 1, fixed on it, contacts inking rollers 2|, 22, 23, 24and 25 in succession. Each of these inking rollers deposits a difierentink on printing plate 1. As it may be seen in Figs. 7 and 8, each inkingroller has its surface worked off so as to provide protruding and inkingzones I56, I51, I58, I53 and I40 corresponding in shape exactly to thezones to be inked on the printing plate (l55e, I55a, l55b, I55c andI55d). As the printing plate advances, the inking rollers roll upon itand deposit the inks in the proper places. Of cour e. h se n 12 may beformed in accordance with any known method but the best effects areobtained, through my press, if they are made in accordance with aprocess of my invention, which is object of another application.

Coming back to Fig. 1, printing plate 1, thus inked with the severalinks, goes in contact with wiping cylinder 26, which removes from platesurface the surplus of ink not compressed in the engraving of the plate:this without taking away and without mixing the inks contained in theengraving. Yet more, the wiping cylinder, in consequence of its workingas above described, besides the cleaning of the plate surface, compressmore the inks contained in the engraving.

Printing plate 1, so inked and cleaned, meets then the paper sheetcarried and pressed by cylinder 38, and makes a print on it.

The result will be an intaglio printing with five adjacent coloursdistributed on the desired areas.

The paper sheet is still held by pincers I35 until their arm I4I hitspin I53 opening the pincers (see Figs. 1 and 6). At this moment a groupof pincers 81 rotates around wheel 14, its arms I24 and I21 (see Fig. 4)have contacted cams I30 and I3I and have momentarily open fingers I22and I23. So they take, by pressing it against seat I2 I, the printedsheet. The group of pincers 81 carries the sheet following the courseshown by arrow A in Fig. 1 until it arrives to wheel 16. At this momentas above described, finger I23 of pincer 81 (Fig. 5) opens to take theinterleaving sheet forwarded by feeder 9I so that the printed sheet andthe interleaving one are carried by the same group of pincers untilwheel 11. Then pincers 61 open and contemporaneously leave both sheetswhich, so freed, lie down upon delivery table III).

It is to be noted that the printed sheet follows the course shown byarrow A with the printed side turned down, it overturns on wheel 16 sothat the interleaving sheet comes to be on the back (not printed) of thesheet. When both sheets lie down upon the delivery table, they placeupon the previously deposited sheets exactly in pile and, thus, scrapingis avoided.

While the sheet is carried by the conveyor, it is held by air jets blownfrom nozzles 69.

The operation repeats indefinitely and two sheets are printed by plates6 and 1 during every revolution of cylinder 2. It is clear that thepress can work with one plate too.

During the letterpress printing the press works in the identical manneras above described the following changes excepted:

(1) Feeder 9| is put off;

(2) The wiping device is eliminated;

(3) Intaglio plates are substituted by letterpress plates.

During the indirect printing the press works in the identical manner asan intaglio printing, the following changes excepted:

(1) Elimination of feeder 6|;

(2) Elimination of the wiping device;

(3) Application of two rubber blankets or of any other suitabletransferring material able to execute the indirect printing, in theplace of intaglio plates 6 and 1;

(4) Assembling of five cylinders (these may be of copper, zinc, brass orof any other suitable material) previously engraved in accordance withone of the many known processes for the indirect printing, in the placeof the inking rollers.

During the indirect printing. the inking groups ink the engravedcylinders, these cylinders print ing rollers on the rubber blankets,fixed on sectors 4 and 5 of cylinder 2, their own design and colour insuccession, and the rubber blankets transfer the ink design to the paperobtaining, thus, a print in five colours which may be superimposed oradjacent.

During the printing operation, sectors 48 and 49 of cylinder 38 (seeFig. 1) which carry the making-ready, are prepared in accordance withthe known art for the different printing kinds because it is possiblethe making-ready of each rubber.

From the operation of the press as above described it is clear thesimplicity and velocity with which it is possible to pass from one toanother printing process without changes of mechanical parts.

The press and all the above described make shifts have been studied byme particularly for printing securities but it is obvious that they maybe utilised for prints of different kinds, e. g. maps or others, as wellas for printing on other materials as cloths, plastics, etc.

Of course, a number of modifications, alterations and mechanicalimprovements may be made to my printing press, always within theprovince of the invention.

Having described and specified the printing press I invented, what Iclaim as being my invention and exclusive property is:

1. A printing press for printing multicolor intaglio, letterpressimpressions from a single intaglio plate, letterpress cut inked withseveral adjacent colors, oil-set printing from a single rubber blanketor transfer element provided with several superimposed or adjacentdesigns and colors by a plurality of engraved cylinders, comprising incombination a rotatably supported drum, means positioned on said drumcapable of holding either an intaglio printing plate, a letter-pressout, a rubber blanket or transfer element on the same supporting surfaceof said drum, a second rotatably supported drum of the same diameter assaid first mentioned drum being in pressure contact therewith forrotating at the same speed but in an opposite direction thereto, a sheetfeeder positioned above said second drum, means on said second drum fortaking from and holding on its surface sheets fed by said sheet feeder,an arcuate support positioned adjacent said first drum, a plurality ofequally spaced roller holding members mounted on said support capable ofinterchangeably holding a series of inking rollers to apply each adifferent ink to the intaglio printing plate or the letterpress out onsaid first drum and a series of printing rollers to print each adifferent color in the blanket on said first drum whilecircumferentially spaced with respect to said first drum, a movablymounted carriage, a series of inkers arcuately mounted on said carriagein such a manner that one inker will be placed in cooperating relationwith a corresponding inking roller or printing roller when on saidarcuate support upon the moving of said carriage adjacent said holdingmembers, a cleaning cylinder being positioned adjacent the periphery ofsaid first drum for cooperating therewith for taking off the excess inkfrom the intaglio plate when on said first drum, a rotatably mountedcylinder for taking the ink off said cleaning cylinder, the said seconddrum, roller holding members and cleaning cylinder being positionedaround the pcriphery of said first drum in that order.

2. A printing press as claimed in claim 1, wherein conveyor means areprovided for taking printed sheets from said second drum and a secondsheet feeder is mounted for feeding interleaving sheets to said conveyorwhereby said conveyor can deposit printed sheets with said interleavingsheets on a delivery table.

GUALTIERO GIORI.

Huebner June 19, 1951

